Graduating with honors

Graduating with honors is a tribute that recognizes academic achievement and represents a student's entire academic history. Consideration for honors is based on the following criteria:

• Have at least a 3.5 cumulative UAF GPA
• UAF resident credit of 30 semester hours for a bachelor's degree
• UAF resident credit of 15 semester hours for an associates degree

GPA calculations for graduation with honors do not include:

• Credits that were excluded due to retaking a course or through the Fresh Start program
• Transfer credits, non credit courses and credit by examination

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Recognition

Associate and baccalaureate degree students, who graduated with honors in Summer, Fall, and students who have potential honors for Spring, will receive gold honors cords to wear at the May commencement ceremony.

In addition, the names of students receiving honors will appear in the Commencement Program, and are released to the media (with exception to students who have placed a directory hold on their account). Students may submit a written request to Graduation Services asking that their graduation information not be printed or released to the media.

Final grades will be verified prior to noting final graduation honors on the diploma or the official transcript (see Note to Spring Graduates/Potential Honors).

Note to spring graduates / potential honors

The May commencement ceremony occurs prior to the deadline for spring semester final grades.

When calculating honors for our Spring graduation candidates, who plan to walk in the commencement ceremony, Graduation Services assumes that students will receive "A's" in all of their in progress, incomplete (I), and deferred (DF) coursework; thus allowing each student to recognized for the highest level of honors he or she has the potential of attaining. We call these potential honors.

Your cumulative UAF GPA must be a 3.5 or higher for potential honors to be calculated.

These potential honors will be used to award gold honors cords at the commencement ceremony, and be listed in the official commencement program.

However, once final grades are posted, the final honors GPA will be calculated. Final grades will have an effect on a student's honors GPA (should the student receive anything other than "A's").

Please note: Upon receipt of final grades any remaining incomplete (I) grades will be calculated as F’s in the final honors calculations. And, upon receipt of final grades, any remaining deferred (DF) grades will not be included in final honors calculations. – see “Grading System and Grade Point Average Computation”

Any change between potential honors and final honors will be reflected on the student's diploma and official transcripts.